While Amapiano runs supreme on South Africa’s dance floors and charts, Gqom is still an ever-present force in the country’s music landscape. The sound is global and several major international artists have experimented with the sound and collaborated with some of the most prominent figures of the genre. It is no longer is an exclusively…
COVID-19 flipped the world upside down and left many people and businesses scrambling to hang tight. The music industry is no exception. It has had to adapt to the new conditions now that the possibilities of touring, doing live events, throwing album release parties, and having real physical time with fans have been taken off…
It is no secret that South Africa dances to the beat of its own drum, especially with Mzansi being the birthplace of a number of distinct genres that fall under the umbrella of electronic music. While music has been a distinct export for decades for South Africa, in recent times international attention has shifted towards…
Off The Meds is perhaps the most anticipated underground iteration of a South African/Swedish synthesis since KWAAI collective – reminiscent of each other in the brazen beats and echoed flows. Although entirely different in their manifestations, I am reminded of the raw energy that originates in both regions of Joburg and Stockholm; making for a…
Emmanuel Mutendji or Manu Worldstar has had an incredible two year run. He captured the hearts and ears of the world with his smash radio hit single “Na Lingi”, which earned him his first platinum plaque and a shoutout from both P. Diddy and Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi. Manu’s debut album, Molimo is a continuation…
Since 2019, Aubrey Qwana has captivated South Africa’s music scene with his fusion of mbaqanga, maskandi, hip hop, and R&B. The newcomer’s hit single, “Molo” is one of the biggest records to come out this year as it has amassed close to 1.8 million views on YouTube. His latest release, Imvula Mlomo is his official…
45 Degrees brings us “vibes to help us dance with the angles”, with the arrival of his debut EP called Pinocchio Mode. The EP’s title is a nod to the classic Disney animated film, Pinocchio about a wooden puppet that desperately dreams of becoming a human boy. The 6-track EP—doused in experimental soundscapes and high-pitched…
Richard Liefeldt’s entry into the music industry began some years ago as the lead singer of experimental psychedelic band, Retro Dizzy. Their catapult into the local scene has been marked with mystery. However, theatrics of mystique aside, Richard confirms that “we are all just big softies who love making music together”. Since then, Richard’s persona…
DISTORTED SONGS FOR DISTORTED PEOPLE by FRNGE, is the latest offering from Wet Dreams Recordings; who consistently have been releasing project after project championing the weird and wonderful world of alternative and underground electronic music. Let’s just say the label doesn’t shy away from putting out projects that sonically flip the script on what we…
enid ze, is the sonicscape brainchild fleshed by Zimbabwean-born Yale University graduate of Philosophy of Religion and musician Nyasha Chiundiza. The work of mediating his imagination and daydreams through music has been a part of Nyasha’s life from the age of eight as he was growing up in the suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwe. Under the…
Born in exile to a South African father and a Dutch mother, Joya Mooi is a singer and songwriter who is attempting to challenge the perceptions of what it means to be an artist of mixed heritage in the Netherlands. “Growing up I saw women that were mixed race [but they] were in this whole…
On June 21 Cistamatic released their industrial rock track title “FLESH PRINCE I (whatdoesyourskintastelike?)” and its accompanying music video, as the first part of a trilogy which will be released in the coming months. Created by Cistamatic’s brainchild Gabbi Le Roux, Flesh Prince is an androgynous, half-vampyr and heir to the seediest alleys in the…
